


Prisoner 0156

by sugawaraformytea



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, F/M, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Non-Canon Relationship, Non-Graphic Violence, Suggestive Themes, Threats of Rape/Non-Con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-09 09:56:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11102136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugawaraformytea/pseuds/sugawaraformytea
Summary: Kuroo gets a new job as a guard in a women’s prison. After getting the attention from one of the more respected women incarcerated, he starts to think that maybe not everything in life is so black and white.//Multiple chapters//I already posted a lot of it on my tumblr which is also @Sugawaraformytea (I take requests on that account as well).//nothing graphic out of respect for people//each chapter will have notes to give possible trigger warnings so no one is uncomfortable, though I will never write anything explicitly sexual or violent. I did not give any warnings in the tags because I felt the warnings were much too strong for the content.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: A reminder that none of the characters in this story belong to me apart from Kobayashi Haruka and Nanami. All other characters belong to the (literal genius) Furudate, as well as the Haikyuu!! franchise.

     There was a boy who grew up in the suburbs of Tokyo—the outskirts of the city, really. He was a smart kid from an early age. Determined, hard working—mischievous, but dedicated. As the son of a federal prosecutor with an impressive conviction rate, he had an appreciation and a reverence for the law that was impressive to say the least. It was installed in him from the time that he could walk:

      _The law is the law, Tetsuro,_ his father would repeat to him like a prayer. _If you break the law, you are a criminal, and you belong in jail no matter what. No excuses, no exceptions._  

     It was the rule of life for Kuroo Tetsuro, and so far, his life had been free of conflict because of his strict following of that motto. He had wanted to become a police officer, but his mother begged him not to out of fear for her son’s life. Law school would have been too expensive, even on a prosecutor’s salary and with scholarships; so, even though his billionaire best friend offered to pay for his schooling, he decided that he would wait to be a lawyer. He did still live with his best friend in a humble home—at least, it was humble by the standards of someone with that kind of money. Not out of need, but because without him, his friend would never go outside.

      Kuroo had just gotten a job as a prison guard in one of the major women’s prisons in Japan, and he was going to stay working there until he could pay for school.

      “You remember when I offered you a job working for me, right?” His friend said while the two ate some breakfast cereal at 10:30 at night and his friend played a first person shooter game.

     “Kenma, there is no universe where I would _ever_ let you be my boss,” Kuroo munched on. “I don’t even _know_ anything about game design.”

     “I’m just saying, you don’t have to work a low paying job so long as you’ve got me. I’ve got way more than I need; there’s plenty to go around,” Kenma responded. They had been friends since, well, birth almost.

    “Yes I do,” Kuroo said, drinking the rest of the milk in the bowl. “I have to earn my way.”

    “You’re really stubborn,” Kozume replied with his usual stoic expression as his avatar made another kill. He had come up with some revolutionary gaming software that had made him a billionaire by the time he was 26. When Kuroo was 26, he was working in a bakery.

   “I appreciate it, Kenma, I really do,” Tetsuro told him honestly. “You’re a good friend.”

   “I know.”

   “I should get to sleep now,” Kuroo said bringing his now empty bowl into the kitchen. “Tomorrow’s my first day.”

   “I like the way you wouldn’t be a cop because your mother thought it was dangerous, but you’re going to be working at a corrections facility where almost everyone is dangerous.”

   “Oh, dude no, no, no,” Kuroo nearly begged. “Dude,  _please_ don’t tell my mum. I told her the place was one of those where they send white collar criminals—Martha Stewart kind of criminal. She’d be pissed if she found out I’m going to be working next to murderers.”

   “How old are you and you’re still afraid of your mother?”

   “29, and she will _always_ scare me. Anyway, I’m going to sleep. I’ve got to be at the facility by 6.”

   “God knows you need your beauty sleep,” Kenma muttered under his breath. “Goodnight, man.” 

   “See you tomorrow.”

* * *

    Before the sun was even beginning to rise, Kuroo was out of bed, hardly able to sleep anyway because of his nerves. Before leaving, he managed to swipe half of a grapefruit. Still trying to tame his erratic hair (which did not work), he rushed to find a taxi.

  In charge of the prison was one Kyotani Kentaro, having been the warden for years, he was as crooked as they came. His face was like a rottweiler. The man was the very definition of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. While kind and unsuspecting to some of the guards and the rest of the world, the prisoners knew the devil beneath that exterior. Still, even the rest of the world got chills standing next to him.

  “Don’t get too close to the animals, and you’ll live long enough to get a nice paycheck regularly,” Kyotani said, giving Kuroo a clap on the back and a smile, like if he found it funny. It made Kuroo feel uneasy to see how the warden thought of the prisoners in his control. True, they were convicts, but they were still _people_ , and they should not be treated as beasts.

   “I-I’ll do my best, Kyoutani-san,” Kuroo said in response.

   “Good,” he replied, leading his new employee down the hall with a hand on his shoulder. “I have the feeling you’ll do just fine here.” He brought him to another guard with a shaved head and a devious grin. “Now,” he began. “This is who will be teaching you how things work around here.”

   Kuroo bowed to baldie respectively. “Nice to meet you, I’m Kuroo Tetsuro.” The bald guard blinked upon seeing the newcomer with the wild haircut.

   “Tanaka Ryuunosuke,” he bowed as well. “Any particular reason you asked your barber for the one haircut that makes your head look like a toilet brush?”

   “Tanaka has been working here for a few years now,” Kyotani continued before Kuroo could even reply. “He may be technically younger than you, but in here, he is still your superior.”

   “You can call me ‘Tanaka-senpai’,” Tanaka grinned, standing up straighter.

   “Any questions can be addressed to him. Good luck,” the warden said, turning and leaving.

    Tanaka showed Kuroo around, gave him some tips and pointers, introduced him to the other guards, and finally brought him to see the lunch area when the ladies started coming in. Immediately, Kuroo was met with catcalls and comments from the women.

     “Fresh meat!”

     “Hey, sexy thing.”

     “We have a new one!”

     “How about walking this way, officer?”

     Kuroo was _not_ amused.

     “They like you,” Tanaka said to him. “Some of the girls are really hot, but remember, it’s against the law for us to fraternize with them. We’ll get fired and possibly fined—even if her smile makes my knees weak…” he trailed off and Kuroo caught him looking at prisoner 0124. She was their age, and looked very nice. She had long dark hair in a braid down the side of her neck, a mole by her lips, and glasses. She smiled at Tanaka sheepishly, and give him the smallest of waves as she sat down with her food.

     “Are you alright?” Kuroo asked in concern.

     “Don’t give me that look, Kuroo,” Tanaka replied. “I’m not dating her or anything, I just really love her and she loves me. That’s Shimizu Kiyoko. She doesn’t have long left on her sentence. When she gets out in a few months, I’m going to marry her.”

     “What did she do?”

     “She stole a Mercedes-Benz,” Tanaka said dreamily.

     “And you’re okay with that? She’s a criminal!”

     “Dude, are you some kind of saint? One wrong action doesn’t make her a bad person. What the hell is wrong with you? Do you live your life like that?” Tanaka started getting closer to him like he was ready for a fight, which surprised Kuroo.

    “Cut him some slack, Ryu,” the short guard with 10 centimeters of hair came up to them. “He’ll get it soon.” Nishinoya, he had introduced himself as. By the way they greeted each other, it was obvious that they were best friends.

    There was a change in the air suddenly, like the atmosphere had shifted. Kuroo looked around to see what it was, but  was immediately alerted when the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up. Not a what—a _who._

    She could not have been more than a year older than Kuroo, with eyes that shifted constantly, eyebrows on the thicker side, and short, bob haircut. She had an interesting face—thin lips, square jaw, pretty Kuroo supposed, but unrelenting. It was even more interesting how the others treated her. Everyone seemed to bow when they spoke to her, and even though she did so in reply, it was clear that she was very respected. Younger girls seemed to flock to her like if they needed advice, and a few older women were sitting next to her, chatting and laughing while the woman mostly listened and nodded—even the guards respected her.

   Her eyes caught Kuroo’s, and gave him such a menacing glare that his heart stopped out of fear.

   “Who…” Kuroo stuttered as the woman went and took another bite of her meal, now seemingly disinterested in his presence. “ _Who the hell is that?_ ” Kuroo asked his co-workers.

   “Which one?”

   “ _That one_ ,” Kuroo whispered. “Number 0156.”

   “No way,” Tanaka laughed like it was totally ridiculous. “Do you have the hots for Kobayashi Haruka? Can you believe this guy, Noya-san? And he thought Kiyoko was bad!” He doubled over laughing and Nishinoya yelled at him to be quieter or the other guards would hear them.

    “Shut up!” Nishinoya hissed.

   “I don’t like her,” Kuroo clarified immediately. “But what did she do to make everyone here…revere here like that? What is she even here for?”

   “Kobayashi is like the mother of the prison, you know?” Noya explained. She was his age, which meant a year younger than Kuroo, and was halfway through a 20 year sentence. She had been there longer than any of the other women, and longer than a lot of the guards too. She had no gang ties, and very little family. She gave out advice to new people, protected those who needed protecting, was kind to everyone, and no one, _no one_ ever dared to cross her. Everyone had exactly one warning not to start a war with Kobayashi Haruka, after that, the rest of the prison would attack the culprit in a second while she watched with a cigarette between her lips.

  “20 years?” Kuroo said in disbelief. “What did she do?”

  “Killed her father,” Noya said like it was no big deal. Really?! That woman who looked like she would crumble beneath 45 kilograms killed an adult male 10 years ago?! She did not look willing to kill someone, much less be capable of it.

    _We don’t judge by faces, Tetsuro,_ his father had said numerous times. _We judge the actions. When the rest of the world says that ‘bad is good and good is bad’, you are the one who has to stand tall and remind them that no matter what, the good is the good and the bad is the bad._

   “Murder, bad,” Kuroo decided. Tanaka shrugged. Haruka was a prisoner, a criminal, a murderer—and there was no forgiving that no matter what.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: reminder that all characters apart from Kobayashi Haruka and Nanami belong to Furudate and the Haikyuu!! franchise!! Also this story is entirely of my own imagination, so only certain small things are canon. 
> 
> Also, another reminder that this story is original and most of it has already been posted on my Tumblr www.sugawaraformytea.tumblr.com so it might seem familiar!! Both accounts are mine!! On Tumblr I also take requests. Enjoy this chapter! :D
> 
> WARNING: this chapter contains implied sex near the end. no detail, but just in case, I do not want to make anyone uncomfortable.

    The next day at work started off relatively uneventful for Kuroo. A week went by, then two weeks. During the scheduled hours for afternoon recreation, Kuroo took his post guarding one of the doors. He was looking around, and occasionally had passing conversations with some of the nicer prisoners. Still, he was on the defensive the entire time. In his mind, they were all criminals, and no matter what they did or said, that was always going to be the first thought on his mind.  On his sixteenth day of work, there was an unusual encounter.

    “Kuroo,” a static voice called over Kuroo’s radio.

    “Yes, I’m here. Is something wrong?” He asked.

    “Yes, Yahaba has the bladder of a squirrel,” the voice continued. A different voice, which must have been Yahaba’s voice, responded.

    “Shut up, Yamamoto,” Yahaba replied.

    “The kid needs to hit the head, could you go to his post and cover him for a few minutes?” Yamamoto continued.

     “Sure thing, Yamamoto-san,” Kuroo said, walking across the room. Yahaba’s post was directly opposite of his, so he was now standing by a table where 0156 was sitting alone, in front of a chess set. She raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously.

    “Uh… “ Kuroo said awkwardly. “Hello.” She ignored him and he glanced down at the chess set. “Isn’t it usually better if someone's there to be playing as the other side?”

    “Do you need something, rent-a-cop?” Kobayashi snapped at him. Kuroo blinked, stunned at how soft the pitch of her voice was, and the sharp contrast it was to her tone and her words.

    “I’m just trying to be nice,” he replied.

    “Yeah, I’m sure you are,” she said sarcastically. With _that_ face, it was not a leap to know that he would be just like the rest of the troublesome  guards in less than a month. Kuroo stood around, shifting on the balls of his feet awkwardly for a few minutes.

    “I-I hear you’ve been here longer than almost everyone,” Kuroo said after a while. “Even though you’re a prisoner, I think I can learn from you. Is there anything going on here between you guys that anyone finds unpleasant? I want to make sure everyone is alright on my watch. ”

    Kobayashi leaned back on her stool and crossed her arms, looking at Kuroo with a face that clearly said she was not entertained. “You don’t trust me because I’m in prison.”

    “Well, you did kill someone,” Kuroo explained. “It does make you a criminal, which is unforgivable.”

    “I see; you’re one of those ‘black-and-white’ kind of guys,” she said in response.

    “I believe in the justice system.” Haruka scoffed.

    “That’s because you’ve never lived it,” she stood from the stool and grabbed the table. She leaned over it, and glared at the new guard.  “You want advice, Frankenstein? Leave me alone.” With that, she turned and walked away, and Kuroo watched her choose a book off of a cart before taking a seat at another empty table far away from him.

    “Don’t worry about Kobayashi-senpai,” a small feminine voice said behind Kuroo. He turned around and saw the shy woman fixing her glasses. “She’s really a nice person underneath all of that. She’s only like that with the guards.”

    “You’re Shimizu, right?” he asked. She nodded.

    “I got lucky; she’s my cellmate,” Shimizu continued.

    “She doesn’t seem very nice,” Kuroo replied.

    “If you knew what the guards do around here, and what her stepfather did, you wouldn’t blame her,” Kiyoko whispered in a barely audible voice to him. Something about the way her eyes had shifted around before she said that, and the way she looked to the side like she was worried someone might hear her—it was very unsettling to him.

   “What do the guards do?” Kuroo asked her. “No matter what he did, there is no excuse for murder other than self defense, and I was told it was her father, not her stepfather.” 

   “It was her stepfather, but most of the guards have never bothered to learn the full story, so they just say her father,” Kiyoko informed him. 

   “What’s with the guards?” Kuroo inquired.  

   “Not all of them. There are a couple of good ones like Iwa-chan, Noya-san, and Tanaka-kun, and they don’t even know what’s going on,” she replied. Kuroo noticed that she blushed a little bit when she said Tanaka’s name. “The rest of them,” she looked around again and put her head down. “They have their favourite girls,” she said quietly. “And they never mess with someone else’s favourite unless it’s agreed amongst the original guard and the one who wants to take his favourite that they can share her.”  

   “Share her’,” Kuroo repeated numbly. The guards were… dating the girls? 

   “Since they know Tanaka likes me, I’m extra lucky,” she said. “None of them bother me, and if they ever did I would have Kobayashi-san to protect me.” 

   “The guards are sleeping with the girls?” Kuroo finally asked her. 

    “In the loosest definition of the word,” Kiyoko said. Before Kuroo could ask her to elaborate, the bell signifying the end of the recreational period and the start of yard time rang, and she ran off. Kuroo was left with more questions than answers, and the best person to give him the answers he needed was the woman in the prison who hated him the most.

    The question was: could he take a murderer at her word, and get someone he did not trust to trust him as well?    


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Again, the only original characters in this story are Kobayashi Haruka and Nanami. All other characters are the property of the Haikyuu!! franchise and Furudate. 
> 
> another thing I feel like I should point out is that I did not put any warnings in the tags because I do not feel anything in the story is strong enough/graphic enough to require it, as mostly everything is either implied or talked about (again, never in explicit terms). That said, if anyone out there thinks I should tag it as such, please let me know. Thank you:D

      “Sir, I think something’s going on in the prison,” Kuroo said to the police captain. He had demanded an audience with the most powerful man in the department, and when confidence and willpower did not work, he turned to begging. Four days had passed since Shimizu had spoken to him about the guards, and the two had not spoken since. Even though he was not sure what to make of it, Kuroo’s conscience had been troubling him ever since that conversation, and he could no longer take it.

     “Of course there’s something going on in the prison; it’s a prison,”  the captain responded. The captain was the strong and silent type if one ever existed. He had broad shoulders, a very muscular form, and a permanent resting face that rivaled Kenma’s neutral face. He was not particularly listening to this random prison guard with a bad hair day. He could not give himself and all of his attention to just any small claim. Kuroo could not give him an explanation for what he thought was happening in the prison, and there was no proof of anything. At that point, his hands were tied.

     “I don’t mean between the prisoners, sir,” Kuroo said. “Something is very wrong here.”

     “You keep saying that,” he replied. “You need to give me something else, kid. Something more than just your gut feeling. What exactly do you think is happening over there?”

     “I don’t know,” Kuroo confessed. “Something’s going on with the guards and the prisoners. Corruption, maybe, and it seems like things that are a lot worse.”

      “Have you talked with the warden?” Kuroo squirmed a little bit.

     “No. I don’t know how high this goes. I don’t know who to trust,” he said.

     “Kyotani _has_ always been a sneaky one,” the captain told him. He leaned back in his black chair. “What do you want me to do, kid? You don’t even know what you think is going on.”

      “Please, Ushijima-san,” Kuroo pleaded. “Please do something; do anything.”

      Captain Ushijima leaned one arm against his desk, rubbing the spot just to the side of his eyebrow with two fingers like if he was in pain. Kuroo waited a few minutes, waiting for a response, and not leaving until the answer was a “yes”. There was nothing he could do alone, and so if there was anything to be found, he would need help. Kuroo was still uncertain on whether or not he trusted a prisoner’s word—only one prisoner’s word at that—still, if there was criminal activity going on in the prison by people of authority, then something needed to be done.

     _The law is the law, Tetsuro. If you break the law, you are a criminal, and you belong in jail no matter what. No excuses, no exceptions._

     Kuroo was determined to continue living by that phrase no matter how blurry the lines seemed to get.

    “Alright, fine,” the police captain said, running his fingers through his short brown hair, then holding his palms up to Kuroo in defeat. “If there’s something illegal going on, it’s up to this department and anyone with any information to put a stop to it.”

     _Why does he make it sound like he’s talking to a 12 year old kid?_  Kuroo thought silently. Nevertheless, he was grateful and bowed respectfully to him. “Thank you, Captain-san.”

    “However,” Ushijima continued. “I can’t dedicate my best men to something we don’t even have any kind of proof is going on. I’m assigning a rookie detective to your case.” Ushijima pushed a button on the desktop phone, picked up the receiver, and spoke into it. “This is Ushijima, send the rookie to my office, please. Yes, the detective! Thank you.” 

    A rookie detective? It did not exactly fill Kuroo with excitement, or confidence. He wanted someone who was experienced, who knew what they were doing and could determine what and how to proceed. Still, he was going to have to be content with what he got.

   Seeing who walked in, Kuroo had to bite his tongue from screaming. It was a kid! A skinny, little shape of a kid who was wide eyed, bushy tailed, bowl cut hairstyle—the whole nine yards. Surely the captain couldn’t be serious about letting this scrawny teenager be in charge of something this big, right?

   “Kuroo….Tetsuro, was it? Meet Goshiki Tsutomu,” the captain introduced the two. “Goshiki, meet your first case.”

   The guy with the bowl cut nearly fainted and cried at the same time, which was technically not possible. His eyes widened and glistened as he stared at his beloved captain, and Tsutomu bowed almost to his knees. “Thank you, Ushiwaka-senpai! I won’t let you down!”

   _He’s serious!_ Kuroo said to himself. With this… _this fetus_ investigating, he may as well do it himself!

   “Uh, Captain-san? Where is the case file?” Goshiki asked, peering down at the desk in case he missed it.

   “There isn’t one yet, so go make one.” He stood up straighter.

    “Yes, sir!” he yelled confidently, although he had absolutely no idea what he was doing.

     “Good, on you go then.” Detective Goshiki practically skipped out of the room, high on the show of faith his captain was placing in him, even without knowing anything about this “case” of his. Kuroo followed close behind, hanging his head miserably.

    “How old are you?” Kuroo asked bluntly.

  “22, why? Does that matter?”

     _Yes,_ Kuroo thought immediately. “No,” he said instead, looking at a mousetrap in the corner of the room. “I was just curious.”

    “What should we do first?” He asked Kuroo excitedly.

    “That’s kind of your area there, you know,” Kuroo reminded him.

     “Oh, right! Okay!” Tsutomu said as they arrived at his desk, which was spotless and organized and exactly what was expected from someone who aspires to look good in the eyes of their boss. He took out a notepad, sharpened a pencil with the electric sharpener on the desk, and blew the shavings off of the now perfectly sharp point of the pencil. Kuroo buried his face in his hands. “Right! Now, tell me everything,” the young detective said, poised and eager to write down notes. He gestured to a chair next to the desk and motioned for his guest to sit. 

     “I work as a prison guard for the women’s prison under Kyoutani Kentaro,” Kuroo began. “I just started but a couple of days ago I received some…information, I suppose, that the guards may be doing things that are illegal. That’s all I know.”

    “What are they doing?”

    “I don’t know.”

    “Which guards are part of it?”

    “I’m not sure.”

    “Do you have any suspects?”

    “None.”

     “And this information was brought to your attention by whom exactly?”

    “One of the inmates.”

    “So… _one_ criminal is your source?” Goshiki asked.

    “Now you see the problem,” Kuroo replied, glancing down at the three sentences written down on the notepad.

     “I don’t see a problem,” Goshiki answered. “This is what I’m supposed to do, remember? It isn’t going to be easy though. Prisons are supposed to be tight-knit by design.” Goshiki picked up his badge and his gun, and looked at his new coworker with a large grin. “Let’s get some lunch! I haven’t eaten in at least two hours and I’m starving.”

     _He really is a fetus, isn’t he?_ Kuroo sighed.

     “After that,” the detective said, rising and putting away the things he had taken out. “We’re going to break into a prison.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: tales of past violence and a violent killing, as well as mentions of blood. Again, nothing SUPER graphic, although this chapter is probably going to be the most detailed about why Haruka is in prison.

     The very next night, after the call for “lights out” in the prison, Shimizu and Kobayashi were lying in their respective beds. Twin sized bunk beds were in every cell. Metal wiring and poles held the lower of the two standard issue thin mattresses 31 centimeters off of the robin’s nest blue linoleum floor tiles. Covering those thin mattresses were even thinner striped white sheets, and to cover the inmates and keep them warm at night? One moldy-green coloured blanket with a texture like sandpaper—it left the inmates itchy though the night, and some were positive that pots in the kitchen were scrubbed with the very same material. The metal lattice beneath the mattress squeaked and creaked whenever the person using that bed would shift in the middle of the night, which could be troublesome for the lighter sleepers.

    Shimizu was in the top bunk entertaining herself with a small length of a thread that she had torn off of her sleeve earlier in the day. She preferred the top bunk for reasons she did not know, and Kobayashi let her take it without question. After all, Shimizu was only going to be there for a few months, so she might as well spend them comfortably. Shimizu smiled lazily as she hummed the overture of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”. She stopped herself midway through as she stared at the ceiling.

    “Kobayashi-senpai, are you awake?” Shimizu whispered.

    “Yes, Kiyoko,” Kobayashi replied in the soft, motherly tone she would often take with the newer prisoners. “You seem happy today.” She heard Kiyoko sigh contently.

    “Ryu…” she began, her smile growing wider at the thought of him. “He wrote me a few lines of poetry today. It was terrible, but he was so sweet…I can’t stop thinking about him.”

    “I’m happy for you, Kiyoko,” Haruka replied honestly. “I hope my invitation to the wedding doesn’t get lost in the mail,” she joked with a straight face.

    “He told me that Kuroo-san was looking for you today,” Shimizu informed her friend. She shifted around and swung her head upside down over the edge of the bed to get a look at Kobayashi’s face through the darkness. “He’s a cutie, that Kuroo-san, don’t you think so?” Haruka scoffed, although she was kind of amused at the effect gravity was having on Shimizu’s hair.

    “Who, Frankenstein? He reminds me of a cockatoo,” she responded. “Oddly shaped, shrill, annoying, and with an unfortunate head.”

    “Do I hear wedding bells?”

    “Yes, for _your_ wedding with Tanaka.”

    “Why didn’t you see Kuroo today?” Kiyoko asked, lying back down on her bed. The blood had rushed to her brain and made her nauseous. Footsteps approached the cell and the girls quieted, regulating their breathing to make is seem as though they had fallen asleep.

    “He must have been stationed somewhere else today. I don’t know. I don’t care. He irritates me,” Kobayashi whispered in a voice even lower than before out or worry that whoever the guards on duty were would say something to Shimizu.

    “It looks like he just wants to talk with you,” Kiyoko said.

      _All of Yahaba’s girls probably thought the same thing,_ Kobayashi thought to herself. “He looks like most of the other arsehole guards here,” she said instead.

    “ _You_ are judging someone without knowing their entire story, Kobayashi-san?” Kiyoko asked in surprise. “I thought you above anyone else would be the most willing to give everyone a chance.”

    Shimizu was right. Normally, Kobayashi would wait before rushing to judgement. It was a luxury that she had not been given in ten years dealing with the prison guards and the wardens that had passed through. However, the numbers spoke for themselves. Out of 32 guards she had had the misfortune of knowing during her sentence, exactly 4 of them had been good men. It was incredibly unlikely that Kuroo would fall into the category of the sympathetic ones. Even if he did, people could grow and shed personalities the way snakes do with their skin: whenever it was necessary. For proof of this, all one needed to do was to go outside, or turn on the news, or ask Kobayashi’s stepfather. 

    Except that if an answer was expected from him, it would be impossible to get one. Haruka slept soundly every night with the mental image of her stepfather burning in the crematorium oven after she had bashed in his head with a baseball bat. She slept soundly each night remembering the way his skull had looked when she was finished—the bones in his face had been shattered to the point where his head was virtually flat. The way she washed the blood off of her hands into the sink, watching the dark colour gradually fade into lighter red, then pink, until it had all swirled down the drain with the warm water and soapbubbles… Those were the thoughts that had been going through her mind every night for 10 years. They very rarely bothered her, those thoughts.

     And that night was not one in which her conscience would not let her sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: I am not sure what may count as triggers to people, as everyone is different and has been through different things, and I absolutely do not want to cause any problems with anyone. there is nothing explicit in this chapter, but abuse is heavily implied. Just in case, I am putting the warning here. I do not want to cause any discomfort for anyone, so this warning is here as a precaution. I certainly hope that it does not prove to be an issue for anyone. Let it be known that I do not condone that kind of behaviour and do not tolerate it at all. This is simply fiction writing.
> 
> Once again, all characters with the exception of Kobayashi Haruka and Nanami are the property of Furudate and the Haikyuu!! franchise.

 

   In the morning after a very unmemorable breakfast of powdered eggs and some rice dish Kobayashi did not care to try and identify, the ladies were let out for the morning outdoor period. A group of some of the newer prisoners, including Shimizu, were off to the side doing yoga. Out of respect for Kiyoko, Tanaka kept his eyes on the opposite end of the yard. A bigger group of the prisoners were playing a game of basketball while Kobayashi and the other four older women who had been at the prison longer than most of the others, and who had formed a bit of a friendship group that was the top tier of the pyramid in there watched from a corner in the shade.

   Kobayashi consistently watched the guards while the women with her continued their conversation. Her eyes drifted over to Yahaba, who was leering at an inmate by the name of Nanami with eyes that were certainly not trying to hide the very unflattering thoughts he was having about her body. Nanami liked to think she was special to Yahaba—the way that Shimizu was special to Tanaka. Tanaka loved Kiyoko. Yahaba loved a very specific part of Nanami, and no matter what the others told her, she refused to think that Yahaba was giving attention to any of the other women. “Attention”, that was what Nanami liked to call it. The point was that when Kobayashi looked, Yahaba was staring at Nanami doing a yoga stretch, and she was certainly trying her best to give him a show.

   Kobayashi took a puff of her cigarette and made the mistake of  catching Kuroo’s eyes. He was already opening his mouth to call out to her, and she immediately motioned for the nearest guard, who happened to be Iwaizumi, and asked him to escort her to the toilet so that she could vomit. He obliged without complaint, and she stubbed out her cigarette. She made sure to tell the women with her to keep their eyes open for any signs of trouble against Kiyoko or any of the others. Haruka’s closer companions in the prison often pointed out to her with smirks and grins that she was always extra polite to Iwaizumi. She always denied that this was true, but she thought he deserved it anyway for being one of the guards who never caused trouble, and did not seem to know anything about the other guards criminal activities.

   “You’ve been needing to vomit a lot more than usual lately,” Iwa noted as the walked. “I think ever since Kuroo-san got here.”

   “I certainly hope that you don’t say things like that to the women you date, Iwaizumi-san,” Kobayashi replied.

   “It’s been three years since we’ve known each other, Haruka. You can call me ‘Hajime’ now, you know.” Iwaizumi said, their footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. “Besides, I don’t date much. I’m just making random conversation.”

   “About my toilet habits since a new prison guard showed up?”

   “I’m observant.” Kobayashi fought back a laugh.

   “Well, maybe I’m pregnant,” she replied half jokingly. Iwaizumi laughed loudly. The idea was really funny to him in that in his mind, there was no way any of the women in the prison could be pregnant unless they were pregnant when they came in. Besides that, he had the feeling that Haruka did not really need to use the facilities at all. It was funny to Kobayashi because she, unlike most of the other women, had not slept with any of the guards. Still, it was nice to laugh with someone who did not feel like an underling next to her. The joy was short lived, as Kuroo ran in after them, calling after her.

   “Kobayashi-san!” he shouted, as Kobayashi cursed under her breath. He caught up to her and Iwa, panting. “Kobayashi-san,” Kuroo said, out of breath. He bowed respectfully to Iwaizumi.

   “I’m just bringing her to the toilet,” Iwaizumi said.

   “Oh, that’s okay. I can take her,” Kuroo offered.

   “Like hell!” Kobayashi cried out in complaint.

   “I think that’s a good idea,” Iwa smiled at her teasingly. “You could use a few more friends.” She shot him a glare, and he gave her a smile before walking back to the yard. Kuroo looked at her.

   “So, you feel sick or something?”

   “I do now,” Haruka muttered, walking toward the toilets again.

   “Hey, wait. I’ve been trying to talk to you for a few days,” Kuroo said. 

   “Why?” She demanded. “Why are you so _insistent_ on bothering me?”

   “I need you to tell me about the way things go around here,” he responded. She scoffed at him, and sat on the nearest windowsill.

   “Call Iwa-chan back in here to come get me,” she said firmly. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

   “I think you should,” Kuroo said, not wanting to mention his meeting with detective Goshiki. If he could get Kobayashi to help him out with this before having to bring Goshiki or the police in at all, he would. She crossed her arms over her chest, and stared at him distastefully. 

   “You don’t trust me anyway. I’m just a prisoner who can’t be trusted, remember?” Kobayashi replied sarcastically.

   “Why won’t you just talk to me?”

   “What exactly do you want to know, Frankenstein?” she asked him bitterly. “You want to know which ones scream? Or better yet, the ones that don’t? Your friends Yahaba, Kyoutani, Kai, Fukunaga, Konoha—any of them can answer those questions for you. You’re getting _nothing_ from me on how you can use these women.”

   Kuroo’s heart sank, and he found himself gripping his hair. This was real all of a sudden. All of it was real. He felt that everything was becoming all the more serious now. For the first time, Kobayashi felt guilty. He looked genuinely sorry, genuinely disturbed about what she had said to him.

   “Okay,” he said slowly. “I… I’ll call Iwaizumi-san.” He radioed for Iwaizumi to come back and be with her. He did not speak to her the entire time they were there waiting for him to show up. When he did, Kuroo went home, claiming he was feeling ill—and even though he really did feel sick to his stomach after hearing what she said, he went straight to see detective Goshiki.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit long and quite intense emotionally, but there are not any triggers in this (I hope). Also please note that I am writing this like the american justice system cos I am too lazy to do research on the japanese justice system. Sorry. I hope you enjoy it! :D

 

    There was another familiar phrase that Tetsuro had learned from his father so many years before, most others know this phrase as well:

_Desperate times call for desperate measures._

    It was finally time for Kobayashi to meet Goshiki, but how would he arrange it? A sudden visit to a single prisoner by a detective would surely raise flags with Kyoutani, especially if Kuroo was in the room, which he would have to be. A plot began to take form, and upon approval from the Captain of the Police himself—the plan was set in motion.

    “Kobayashi Haruka!” Yamamoto’s voice boomed across the recreation hall. Kobayashi rose from the floor slowly, glaring at him with a face that might have seemed indifferent, but with eyes of steel. Wordlessly, the other 268 women in the room stood up and stared at him as well, preparing themselves for a potential fight to defend their protector—it chilled Yamamoto to the bone.

    “You have a visitor,” he said to her. This took her aback. A visitor?

    Kobayashi looked behind her at all of the women who had arisen, and bowed as a sort of way to say “thank you, please go back to your activities.” Together, 268 heads bowed in return, and none of them stood straight until she had left the room.

    Yamamoto brought her to the special cell, where Kuroo and Iwaizumi were waiting in front to inform her of the visit. Yamamoto left as soon as she was in their custody, which she was grateful for. Iwaizumi grinned when he saw her, and she smiled back a little bit.

    “Good morning, Haruka,” he said cheerfully. Kobayashi hated the feeling of heat that was coming over her cheeks, just like it always did when he said her first name. “How did you sleep?”

    “Good morning, Iwaizumi-kun,” she replied. “I slept very well, thanks. And you? How are you doing?” His smile became a bit sheepish looking.

    “Better than I was five minutes ago,” Hajime answered simply. Before Kobayashi could even ask what that meant, Kuroo butt in again.

    “Hi, Kobayashi-san,” Kuroo said carefully. She rolled her eyes and Iwaizumi chuckled a bit.

    “So this is different than a regular visit,” Iwaizumi explained. “Instead of the visiting area, you and the visitor will be in this interrogation cell. He’s a detective working a homicide and apparently he thinks you might know the victim so he wanted to talk to you. Do you think you’ll be alright with that?” She nodded, and Kuroo opened the door to the cell.

    Detective Goshiki was inside eating—was that fish? His head shot up in surprise. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” He said with his mouth full, wiping his face with a napkin. He bowed at Haruka, who blinked in surprise while Kuroo held his head in his hands again. “Sorry, I missed breakfast this morning. Do you want some? It’s boiled flounder, it’s my favourite.”

    “Thanks, I’m fine,” Kobayashi said cautiously. 

    “Wait, shouldn’t she be in chains or something?” Goshiki asked Kuroo.

    “Nope,” Hajime replied from outside. “She’s not dangerous.”

    “She killed someone,” Kuroo reminded him.

    “That sounds dangerous to me,” Goshiki said in a panicked tone. “Stay in here with me,” he said to Kuroo, who nodded.

    “Haruka?” Iwaizumi called out as he closed the door. “I’m right here, okay? Just in case you need anything.”

    “What if _I_ need something?” Goshiki whispered to Kuroo.

    “Then you’re out of luck,” Kuroo whispered back. Kobayashi sat down on the chair on the other side from the detective.

    “So, you wanted to talk to me about a murder?” She said, getting straight to the point.  

    “Ah, no,” Goshiki answered. He wiped his hands and leaned back in his chair. “First things first: my name is Goshiki and it’s actually really nice to meet you after how much Kuroo talks about you.”

    “Uh, Frankenstein…?” Kobayashi looked at Kuroo questioningly. The detective leaned across the table to her.

    “It wasn’t coincidence that I asked him to stay. He told me what’s going on in the prison,” Goshiki whispered. “The guards and the girls—I want to help.”

    “Hell to the _no_ , Frankenstein!” She exclaimed, staring at Kuroo in disbelief. Surely no one could be that stupid. “You trying to get my girls killed?” She hissed at him.

    “Please just let him explain,” Kuroo begged quietly.

    “I have him here because of the cameras,” Goshiki began. “There just picture, no audio, so I need to make it look like I’m afraid of you. I know you’re not dangerous.”

    “As your friend so effortlessly pointed out, I did kill someone.”

    “That’s right, she did,” Kuroo piped up.

    “You didn’t kill a man, you killed an animal,” Goshiki answered, ignoring Kuroo. “I read the file, Kobayashi-san. You don’t belong in prison, you belong in your home.” Haruka swallowed hard.

    “You read my file?” She asked. He nodded and pulled out a Manila folder from under his chair with the Tokyo Police department logo on the front of it. He slid it to her and she opened it. It was full of papers and photos. “These…” She said reading one of the pages of a thick packet. “These are the transcripts from my trail. And these…these photographs they're…” She trailed off, lost in the pages of the documents that resulted in her incarceration. Her stepfather’s bloody corpse, the baseball bat, and another photo. A photo of her sister—

    She slammed the folder shut. Her fingers shook.

    “I know what he did,” Goshiki said softly, reassuringly—and unlike other police officers, he was genuinely being nice. There was no ulterior motive to his kindness. He wanted to help with the situation at hand, but this had nothing to do with that. She had been branded as a murderer, and had to live with that label for 10 years, possibly having to live with it for the rest of her life. This was him showing her that he knew everything—not what the media presented, not what the people said about her, but the full truth. 

    Kuroo was baffled. What was Goshiki talking about?

    “I know that if I had been on that jury I would have given you a medal,” Goshiki continued. “I know you haven’t had a visitor in 6 years. I know that your aunt took your sister out of the hospital twice a year for the first 3 years to come visit you—your birthday and your sister’s birthday—until you asked for her to stop.”

    “I-I didn’t want her to…” Kobayashi shut her eyes as a lump formed in her throat. “My sister…do you know how she’s doing?”

    “She’s okay,” Goshiki replied honestly. “She’s tough. I went to see her yesterday. She’s back in school—finishing up her high school equivalent degree now. Her grades are slipping a little bit but…” He took out another piece of paper from a briefcase on the floor and put it in front of Kobayashi. “She still paints.”

    Haruka covered her mouth with her hand, tears slipped down her face as she stared down at the painting. It was the first time since before she had been convicted that she had cried. It was something to marvel at. A painting of a solar system that could rival any Van Gogh artwork. Her sister painted that? She glanced at the date in the corner. It was three years after she was sentenced, which meant that her sister was 15 when she painted it.

    “Can I…can I keep this?”

    “She gave it to me to give to you,” he replied. Kobayashi wiped her eyes and thanked him.

    “Don’t you have a partner?” She asked him after a long pause. 

    “Yeah, he’s riding a desk at the moment. Anger issues with a suspect. He’s actually our head detective.”

    “Do you have a picture?” Kobayashi asked. She could read people instantly, even from photos, and wanted to be sure that if this Goshiki fellow was anything like his partner, his partner better be one of the good guys. The detective took out his cell phone and found a photo of his partner in uniform, back when he was a beat cop.

    “‘Ennoshita’,” she read off of the name tag in the photo. “He’s a cutie. Think he’ll wait for me?”

    “It’s only ten years and you’re pretty nice so I don’t see why not,” Goshiki shrugged.

    “Moving on now,” Kuroo interjected.

    “Right, yes,” Goshiki gave Kobayashi a yellow notepad. “This is me pretending to get information from you on this ‘murdered’ ex co-worker of yours.”

    “Which co-worker was it?”

    “If anyone asks: say it was Nagisa.”

    “Good. I hated that bastard.”

    “Why aren’t you writing?” Kuroo asked.

    “Because I’m not stupid,” Haruka answered. “Because if they see these tapes, they know I’ll never get less prison time, and I certainly know it, which means you would have nothing to offer me, and so I wouldn’t help you guys.”

    “Uhm, actually, just me,” Goshiki answered extra quietly. “Kyotani can’t know Kuroo is involved. There’s a burner cell with an extended battery life taped underneath the table right in front of you. Do you feel it?” Kobayashi felt around until she found it, nodded at the detective, but did not remove it. “My number is saved onto it, just like Kuroo’s is. The phone is yours. Do you have a place to hide it in your cell where it can’t be found?”

    “Yeah,” she nodded. 

    “Good. I’ll give you some time to think about this whole thing.”

    “I won’t do it,” Kobayashi said. “I can’t protect my girls if I’m dead and make no mistake: Kyoutani _will_ kill me.”

    “Okay. Take the phone anyway,” Goshiki offered. “If you change your mind you can send me a text.”

    Kobayashi got the phone unstuck, and dropped it into her boot beneath the table where it could not be caught on the camera. Then she picked up the painting, thanked him for bringing it, and asked Hajime to take her back to her cell.

    “Do you think she’ll help?” Kuroo asked while Goshiki cleaned up around him.

    “I think she’s too good of a person not to want to help.”

    The line between right and wrong began to get blurry in Kuroo’s mind. 

_The law is the law, Tetsuro. If you break the law, you are a criminal, and you belong in jail no matter what. No excuses, no exceptions._  

    For the first time in his life, Kuroo pushed that thought out of his head.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to cut this chapter where I did because it was already 2 pages long so even though it was supposed to be longer I decided to just split it into two chapters (hopefully the next one will be up soon). 
> 
> As always, the only characters who belong to me are Kobayashi Haruka and Nanami. All other characters belong to Furudate and the Haikyuu franchise.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! :D

    “Tell me, Yahaba,” Kyotani asked his underling as he handed him a drink of the special bottle of cognac the mayor had given Kyotani as a gift. Yahaba took the glass graciously while his boss took a seat in the white leather office chair although he himself remained on his feet. Kyotani took a drink. “How is the newest recruit? It's been about a month now, hasn't it? Any issues with him?” Yahaba shrugged.

    “Fast learner. I'd say he's gotten the hang of things pretty easily. He knows the pecking order. I think he's going to be a good one,” Yahaba answered. Kyotani refilled his cup and offered to top off his senior guard, who declined politely.

    “Has he gotten an interest in any…” Kyotani looked up to the ceiling as if the appropriate words could be read off of the concrete above them. “ _...special girls?”_ He decided. Yahaba chuckled.

    “Been trying to spend some time with Kobayashi.”

    “Is that right! Brave one he is, that Kuroo to try and bed such a viper. Brave or stupid. Best of luck to him, I say.” Kyotani raised the glass in his hand to his lips again and took another long sip. It burned as it went down, but he had an addiction to the drink that could not be ignored. By now, he was already on his 4th full glass, and was feeling the effects. “I haven't gotten a good read on him yet. My gut tells me something isn't all it's cracked up to be with his whole ‘Saint whatever-his-name-is’. I want you and the boys to keep a close eye on him, understand?”

    “Yes, sir. If he checks out, are you thinking of letting him into the business?”

    “You let _me_ worry about the business. For now, you get friendly with him. You keep him close, and if you see anything you don't think I'd like, you report it back to me, is that clear?” Kyotani said firmly.

    “Yes, sir.”

    “Good, now get home—unless you plan to pay Nanami another late night visit?” he smirked. Yahaba made a face of disgust instinctively.

    “That woman is absolutely _desperate_ to be loved. It's sad, really. Pathetic. On the other hand, no matter how many of the other girls she catches me with, she always comes crawling back to me. Nanami is the only one I can rely on for a quick lay,” Yahaba told his boss.

    “So she's not completely useless to you then?”

    “She's good for business too,” Yahaba reminded him. Kyotani nodded slowly in agreement—the drink now overpowering him. He closed the bottle and put it back in his desk drawer next to several other bottles of assorted liquors. Yahaba helped him stand, he was much more stable than the former, given that he had only had a single glass of cognac compared to Kentaro’s 4.

    “Need a ride home, boss?”

    “Nah, I'll catch a cab.”

* * *

 

    Ever since Goshiki had come to see her, Kobayashi had refused to look at Kuroo—much less speak to him. He wanted to desperately, but what could he say to her? She had broken down in front of him that day, and he had been stunned. Frankly, he had been a little intimidated afterward as well, because when Kobayashi walked out of the cell, Iwaizumi could tell that she had been crying. She would not tell him why, and Iwaizumi had not heard anything himself what with him being outside. Knowing how much Haruka hated Kuroo, Hajime became extra protective—always standing nearby, and casting murderous glances in Kuroo's direction often.

    Kuroo had asked Goshiki for the entire story behind Kobayashi’s incarnation. The young detective was shocked that Kuroo did not know, but he told him everything over a bowl of ramen. It all made sense. Kobayashi's behaviours and mannerisms. The way all the women revered her no matter what. Her maternal care for the girls.

    And why she intimidated so many of the guards.

    Her stepfather’s murder was not in self defense, but in defense of others. She was protecting her sister, her mother. Kobayashi had brutally murdered someone in cold blood—a carefully calculated ambush. Why did Kuroo suddenly feel like she was in the right? It troubled him to think he was defending a murderer’s actions.

    Every night when the lights went off, Kobayashi took the cellphone given to her by Detective Goshiki out of the space where she hid it—a loose metal bar of the bed that was the perfect diameter to wedge the tiny flip phone in—and stared at the small object. Every night she considered sending Goshiki a message telling him she would cooperate. Every night, she decided against it.

    By now, Kuroo had become good friends with Tanaka and Nishinoya, and the four of them—Kenma included—would often go drinking after their shifts were over. Kuroo also tried to make friends with Iwaizumi, but the latter suddenly seemed like he wanted nothing to do with him. Kuroo would need all of their help if he was going to save these girls.

    Yahaba, Yamamoto, Fukunaga, and a few of the other guards also tried to make friends with Kuroo--well, perhaps "friends" was not the appropriate term, more like "allies". They frequently tried to get him to tell them if he had an interest any of the woman, but Kuroo always shrugged it off like he had not decided yet. Kuroo Tetsuro, who was always carefully considering everything he was going to say or do around them. Kuroo Tetsuro, whose experiences in a courtroom as a child had meticulously refined and sharpened his mind. Some primal instinct in this case had told Kuroo that if he did something they did not like, they would not hesitate to kill him and make it look like a prison riot.

    It all came to a head the day of a new prisoner arrival. It was not Kuroo’s first, but it would have the most impact on his work. The usual guards were there that usually were---Iwaizumi, Yamamoto, Kohona, and of course, Yahaba. This time, Yahaba had gotten Kuroo to be there as well. He claimed it was for a training, but in reality he knew he needed to make Kuroo “one of them”.

    They positioned themselves all around the entrance gate, with Iwaizumi and Kohona at the front ready to receive the truck where she would be arriving, and Yahaba, Yamamoto, and Kuroo watching from the outdoor platform above. The hot sun was beating down on all of them. It made the more experienced workers ill-tempered, sweaty, and much more careless than usual. Iwa shot Kuroo an evil glare that sent shivers up his spine.

    “Do you think the new one will be cute?” Yamamoto whispered to Yahaba.

    “We’ll see,” he responded with devious grin.

    Finally, after what felt like ages of waiting, the truck arrives. Inside, apart from the prisoner, a single guard from the courthouse. Iwaizumi and Kohona open the back doors of the truck to find the the guard trying to coax the petite, quaking figure of the youngest prisoner Iwaizumi had ever seen out from the furthest corner. He tried to help the court guard, speaking calmly and soothingly to the girl.

    “It’s okay. I understand that you’re scared, but we won’t let anything happen to you, okay?” Iwaizumi said cautiously. He felt sorry for her. The court guard shook her head exasperatedly. Kuroo and the others craned their necks to try and see inside, their curiosity being sparked by the strange situation of not being able to see the newest girl joining their prison.

    Eventually, the sound of heavy chains jangling was heard all across the area, and a trembling young girl was brought out of the back of the prison transfer vehicle. Kuroo heart dropped when he saw her. If there were ever anyone who did not belong in that terrible place, surely it was that girl. She could not have been more than 17, and was just about 150 centimeters—even from such a high post Kuroo could see that easily. Her hair was straight, blonde, and came down just below her chin. Kuroo could see she had tied some of it in a ponytail on the side.

    Kuroo asked Yahaba for the clipboard that held all of the information on the new prisoner and scanned over it.

    Someone so innocent and terrified surely would be a target. Kuroo’s mind began to race. He did not know this girl, but he was determined to keep her safe.

    Yamamoto nearly wailed when he saw her. “Argh! She _is_ cute!” Yahaba leaned forward when he saw her, gripping the metal railing in front of him as he tried to get a better look. Already, his eyes were watching her hungrily and lustful smile crept over his lips.

    “ _Very_ ,” Yahaba agreed. “I think I just got a new favourite.”

    “No,” Kuroo choked out. The other two guards raised their eyebrows at Kuroo, who never took his eyes off of the girl being walked to the entrance. He cleared his throat, gaining more courage. “No,” he repeated. “She's mine. No one touches her.”

    For a moment, Yahaba paused, then began to chuckle lowly. He gave Kuroo a forceful clap on the back. “Hey! The kid’s finally making a move! I knew you'd come around. As for her being yours…” Yahaba’s chuckle took on an even more sinister sound. “Well, we’ll see about that, won't we?”

    Yahaba turned to go back inside with Yamamoto following close behind. Iwaizumi was already walking in, and this time when he caught Kuroo’s eye, instead of a threatening look, they exchanged glances of despair. Kuroo knew he had to talk to Kobayashi immediately.

    If Kobayashi would not help him and Goshiki, surely he could at least beg her to protect Yachi Hitoka.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: this chapter contains nothing graphic (as usual) but there is non-consensual contact (sexual advances made, but nothing explicit). It also contains references of drugs and drug overdoses when talking about the reasons for Yachi's incarceration. If you are sensitive to this information, please be aware of it. 
> 
> Other than that, please enjoy this chapter!
> 
> again, all characters with the exception of Kobayashi Haruka and Nanami are the property of Furudate and the Haikyuu!! franchise etc. etc.

    It was easier than he had originally thought, convincing Kobayashi to protect the prison’s newest inmate. Initially, when Kuroo approached her with a request, Kobayashi was already inclined to say “no”. When she saw Yachi however, and the desperation in Kuroo’s eyes, she was reminded of herself---of her sister so many years ago. Back when Haruka went to beg the police to take her stepfather away from them, to throw him in jail so that her family would be safe. Back when the officers ignored her, dismissing her as a teenage girl who just wanted to get back at her mother for marrying another man. Haruka was reminded of the officers who refused to look at evidence, and told her that if her mother had any complaints, she could come in and press charges---knowing full well that a person in an abusive relationship would never do so.

    With this and much more in mind, Kobayashi agreed that she would protect Yachi at all costs.

    Yachi was a very strange one. She had a very severe case of anxiety; she was so small in stature that nearly everyone literally towered over her. Yachi was always trembling and shaky, even when Kuroo introduced her to Kobayashi. Yachi found Kuroo’s face scary, but she felt she had no choice other than to trust him. What would happen to her if she disobeyed the orders of one of the guards? Would she be thrown in solitary confinement? Something worse? Her mind went to terrible places. Although Kobayashi assured Hitoka that she would be safe, she was always terrified. At night she would not sleep, and in the morning she was always cowering as she watched the guards and the other prisoners.

    Kobayashi would look at her and see a strong young girl who was scared out of her mind, and who had incredible power that she could use if she gave herself a chance. No one had known each other very long, so it was not a surprise none of them knew why Yachi was even in such a horrible place. In time, Kobayashi knew Yachi would be comfortable enough to tell her, but until then, she would wait.

    Iwaizumi continued bending the rules for Haruka. Making little accomodations here and there to please her; she was never asking anything that was truly _wrong_ anyway. All she really wanted was to accompany Yachi everywhere she went. Whether she liked it or not, Yachi now had three personal bodyguards---Iwaizumi, Kobayashi, and Kuroo. After four days, Yachi had started to trust them.

    That was when it happened.

    Yahaba had taken it upon himself that Yachi was someone he was incredibly interested in. During the morning’s outdoor recreational period that day when nearly everyone was outside, Yahaba went to Yachi and told her that she had a visitor. Iwaizumi offered to take her instead given that Kuroo was at a different post somewhere in the building, but Yahaba had more seniority than he did. Iwaizumi was told to stay put, so he had no other option, and Yahaba was certainly not going to let Kobayashi go with Yachi. Yachi made the mistake of believing that all of the guards were as kind and protecting as Kuroo and Iwaizumi were---even as Nishinoya and Tanaka, who she had met and gotten along with almost immediately. And so, Yachi decided that there could be no harm in going with another guard. After all, what were the guards there for other than to protect them?

    Halfway down the hall, the two were walking alone, and Yachi finally spoke up.

    “Who is my visitor?” she asked Yahaba respectfully.

    Now, Yahaba was a very strapping young man, with brown hair like the feathers of an eagle, and eyes that matched. He had what many described as a baby face, young and innocent that hid his unholy, evil intentions well.  If Kyotani was Machiavelli, Yahaba was his apprentice. So that cute, boyish smile of his when she asked him the question set Yachi at ease, and it even made her smile a bit.

    “About that…” he stopped walking and she did the same. Yahaba gave her a handsome, sheepish grin that was soft, but Yachi felt a change in the air. “I just wanted to talk to you without everyone being around,” he continued.  Yachi took a careful, subtle step away from him.

    “Oh. About what?” she asked cautiously as he took another step to her. Yahaba’s smile got bigger. It could have been interpreted as a handsome, nice guy being flirty. Yachi felt the hairs on her neck stand on end. Something about this situation, a situation that should have been so casual made her uneasy, it had her more on edge than usual.  

    “Anything, I guess. I was there when you first came in last week, you know. You’re very beautiful---really, you are,” Yahaba said, leaning over her. Yachi had not even realized that she had backed into the wall and was now stuck against it with Yahaba looming over her on his side---his arm above her head, supporting his weight. The compliments should have been just nice things to say to someone, and if it had been Kuroo or Nishinoya, she would have taken them that way. Something told her that Yahaba was not saying those things with such pure intentions. He was not on top of her, but Yachi felt her chest slowly being compressed like an anvil had been placed on her breast. All of the colours in her vision became sharper and more intense. The pounding sound of the blood flowing in her ears became louder and stronger than it ever had before. She tasted a sour bitterness on her tongue, like vinegar and lemon but much, much worse. Yachi’s hands began to sweat as the panic started to take over her. Yahaba chuckled a little as he looked down at her trembling hand.

    “Now, why are you shaking?” he asked her politely, his eyes darkening as he took hold of her hand. “You don’t have to be nervous around me.” Yahaba brought the hand he was holding up to his lips and kissed the knuckles in false chivalry. He rubbed his thumb over it slowly. It was another gesture that should have been romantic, and coming from literally anyone else, Yachi would have felt better about it. Her neck was starting to sweat. The temperature in the air soared. She freed her hand from his grasp and tried to wiggle away, but Yahaba followed her.

    “Uhm, we go back outside now?” Yachi stammered out. Yahaba looked at her questioningly.

    “Why? I’m fine here,” he tried taking her hand again when he felt a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back away from Yachi. He was spun around and found himself face to face with Kuroo.

    “Your memory must be fading, because I know I told you to stay away,” Kuroo said pushing Yahaba away carefully from Yachi. Yahaba laughed like it was a joke and he held his palms up to Kuroo in surrender.

    “Hey, man. I don’t want to steal your girl. I just wanted to show her a good time, you know? Take her out for a spin---I’d bring her back in the morning,” Yahaba said with a chuckle that was slow and dark like molasses. Kuroo stepped in front of Yachi defensively, staring down Yahaba as Yachi began to quake behind him.

    “Leave,” Kuroo commanded. “Now.” Yahaba shrugged, turning away.

    “Alright, no trouble from me. See you later, beautiful,” Yahaba said with a wink to Yachi. He walked back to the yard, whistling joyfully as he went down the hall. Kuroo’s blood had reached a boiling point in his veins when he saw Yahaba cornering Yachi. Now, he turned to her. When Yachi looked up at Kuroo, she broke into loud sniveling, sobs. Knowing that a hug was likely not something she needed at the moment, Kuroo opted to just stand in front of her put his hands on her shoulders while she wept. She was shaking and crying uncontrollably.

    “ _What the hell did you do to her?!_ ” They heard Kobayashi’s voice sternly as she ran up to them from outside. Iwaizumi followed closely behind. When Yachi had left the yard with Yahaba, Kobayashi felt concerned right away, but she could not leave immediately, so she got Iwa to take her inside. Yachi collapsed into Kobayashi’s arms immediately as she struggled to breathe. Iwaizumi rushed and got Kuroo away from Yachi, fully prepared to punch Kuroo in the nose if necessary.

    “I _didn’t_ ,” Kuroo answered. “You know who did.”

    Kobayashi’s eyes stared at Kuroo’s own in silent rage as the word passed with quiet understanding between the two.

_Yahaba._

    “Are you alright, Hitoka?” Kobayashi asked, helping wipe tears from the blonde girl’s face while Yachi tried gasping for breath and she nodded. If Kobayashi had been any more enraged, she would have exploded into a million pieces. Kobayashi gave Iwaizumi a curt nod, and he immediately let go of Kuroo.

    “This doesn’t seem right,” Iwaizumi said. “You’re way too young to be in here. Why are you here?”

    “I don’t know!” Yachi cried desperately. “My mum went out of town so I invited my boyfriend and some of his friends over. He kept inviting people until there was a huge party in my house. Someone brought some kind of drugs---I-I don’t know who but the next thing I knew the police were at my house saying that there were three dead kids upstairs who had overdosed and since it was my house they said it was my responsibility. I don’t even drink alcohol! The prosecutor said the police had all this evidence that the drugs were mine so my parents made a deal for me to go to jail for 6 years for something I didn’t do! I wasn’t even allowed to make the choice! I turned 17 during the trial. None of this was supposed to happen! I just want to go home!” If it was even possible, Yachi seemed to be even less in control of herself than before---falling apart all over again in Kobayashi’s embrace.

    The same reasoning seemed to pass between the other three. Something was definitely not right about that situation. Kobayashi spoke gentle words to Yachi until she calmed down. When she finally did, Kobayashi looked at Hajime  He did not know. Neither did Tanaka or Nishinoya. She was unsure of whether or not she even wanted them to know. Truthfully, she wanted them to stay the way they were. If they thought they could get away with such things, would they do them?

    “Take her to Medic until she calms down,” she told Hajime. “I want Tanaka and Nishinoya there. No one else, you understand?” He nodded.

    “I want to talk to you later though, Haruka,” he said sternly.

    “Maybe,” she said definitively. Her word was the last word, and Iwaizumi left with Yachi after a cautious glance to Kuroo.  Kuroo looked at Kobayashi and opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off before he could. “Don’t say it. I know.”

    “Then you know what to do,” he said. He started walking her back outside. “Hey, what happens if _I_ call you ‘Haruka’?”

    “I’ll stab you with a sharpened toothbrush.”

    Kuroo looked a little concerned. “Seriously?”

    “I’d have Michimiya bring me a new toothbrush afterward.”

    “Oh.”

* * *

 

    She tossed and turned that night in her bunk while Shimizu slept perfectly soundly, unaware of the morning’s events. Finally, Kobayashi took the phone out of the hiding spot and flipped it open. It was a burner cell. Old school like when she was in junior high. It flipped open and shut, and to send messages you had to press each button several times. She sent a message to Goshiki.

    ‘OK,’ she began. ‘If I agree to do this, I need some guarantees first.’ Goshiki replied almost immediately.

    ‘Let me know.’

    ‘Meet up here tomorrow and I’ll give you my list.’

    ‘OK. Glad you’re on our side now :D’

    She wanted to say that she was _not_ on the side of the police, she was on any side that protected her girls. Instead, she closed the phone, put it in its place, and pretended that she would be able to fall asleep.


End file.
